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Now that I have a plan for creating my new squeeze video, it’s time to actually record it. After I get it uploaded tomorrow, we’ll then be able to see how much that improves (and hopefully doesn’t hurt) conversions.

So today I’ll be talking about…

• What equipment I’m using
• Lighting
• Setting up for the recording
• And…. Action!

Let’s go…

Keep Your Equipment Simple

During Day 16, I told you already about the technology I’m going to be using. All you need is a simple video camera. I have a Flip Ultra HD, which I love. It has a great picture to it, and the sound is quite good. If you have a digital photo camera that has a video mode, you can use that just as well. In fact, many of the first videos of mine you see on my YouTube channel are with my digital camera. I like the Flip because it easily loads up to video sharing sites.

I have a tripod but I’m not going to use it because it doesn’t reach high enough. Instead, I’ll go really high tech and stand the flip on top of my bookcase in my office so it’s eye level when I’m standing. Usually, I self-record by holding my arm out. But I want to use my hands more this time, and make sure the video remains still.

Simple Lighting Set Up

Most of the videos I do are outside, so I use the sun. But I’ll be doing this one inside. So I’ll be using artificial light instead. You could go all out, get lighting kits or workman lamps, etc., but we’re keeping this simple, and using what I’ve got.

I have 3 lights in my office. And I want to position them and me to eliminate shadows as much as I can.

• #1: I have an old Ikea 6′ lamp that I’m going to put right next to the camera so it illuminates me from the front. It’s important to try to get light to hit your eyes. I tried doing this without my glasses on, but I never appear without them in public, and I don’t want it to look “weird”.
• #2: I have a desk halogen I’ll leave in the background (behind my left) to provide some depth. I face it more to the wall, and out of the view of the camera. This lights up the wall behind me on the side of the video adjacent to the opt-in box. Maybe this will add a psychological factor of where their eyes will go?
• #3: The third light is an attached ceiling light in the middle of the room. I can’t move that, obviously, but I can position myself in such a way that the light is above me, behind me, and to my right. So I’m standing

Here’s a nifty diagram that shows the 3-point lighting system I’m using. It’s not scientifically the right 3-points, but it will work for now. I’m sure my friend Perry Lawrence will have a laugh at this :)

Setting Up The Camera

I position the camera so that only the wall will be shown in the background. I want to keep that space clean simply for later use if I wish. By standing offset to the left (to the viewer), the wall gives me a space where I can add text (or an arrow) on the video at a later time if I want to. It also keeps out distractions. No lightswitches, wall art, etc.

Later, I may change the scene a bit to do a video from my desk with my bookshelf in the background. But I think that videos like that have a good and bad consequences: on the one hand, they show more about you (like what books you “read”). But on the other, people may be looking at what’s behind you instead of what you are saying and asking them to do.

I know I’ll be able to edit the front and end of the video if I want to (that comes tomorrow), so I simply press record on the flip and test out the positioning and lighting to make sure everything looks the way I want it to.

Next, I print out my mindmap that I planned yesterday for the video. I review the map a few times to remember what I want to say and get across, and the sequence. This doesn’t have to perfect, and I’m not reading it like a script. But the plan is there for a reason.

To make me feel a little more comfortable, I put the map under the Flip, just in case I need a reminder during the video. But I want to try and avoid looking at it too much while I’m filming so I maintain eye contact with the viewer as much as possible. However, I do know that I can always pause, look at the map, and recontinue, and later clip out that part if I need to.

Lights, Camera, Action….

Now it’s just a matter of filming a few versions until I feel like I got it right. Luckily, I only had to do it three times. Remember, you are human, so don’t worry about getting it perfect. And once you have the first squeeze video up, you can always do a new version later on. This is definitely a time for Take Action Revise Later!

With the recording completed, I can do a few simple editing steps before uploading it to the web. I’ll do the editing tomorrow.

Good luck with your video!

Bob Jenkins
DiscoverAutoresponders.com

p.s. If you upgraded to the video series of the 30 Day Autoresponder Challenge, I’ll be showing the takes that I did, and more specifics on the lighting set up.

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